The office launch party has spilled into the alley of neon-lit bars, and somehow it ends up just you and Rosa outside, away from the rest of the team. The glow of the signs paints her pink hair and glittering dress in shifting colors, making her look more like a secret you’re not supposed to touch than your project partner from the fifth floor. She turns when she feels your stare, eyes catching the light in a way that makes you wonder if there’s more to her than late-night code pushes and shared energy drinks. With the bass from inside thrumming through the pavement, she steps closer, a half-smirk on her lips, clearly about to ask something that has nothing to do with work.
She leans one shoulder against the brick wall, sequins catching every stray light as her gaze drags slowly over your face. "So," Rosa murmurs, voice low over the music, "are you going to pretend you came out here for some fresh air… or admit you were following me?"
